Planning for the Future to Protect the Ones You Love
- Are you the parent of a child with special needs?
- Did your child or beneficiary receive debilitating injuries in a personal injury accident?
- Are you worried about what will happen to your loved one when you die?
- Do you wish to protect your loved one emotionally and financially in the future?
If you answered yes to any of the above, a special needs trust may be of benefit to you. A special needs trust allows families to plan in advance to protect individuals with special needs or those who have received serious injuries in an accident. To find out more about special needs planning, contact the Law Office of Warren B. Brams, P.A. to schedule a free consultation. You can contact us online or call us at 561-328-0733.
We represent the families of individuals with special needs, as well as those who have been injured in a personal injury accident.
What is a Special Needs Trust?
A special needs trust is a document used to protect existing or future public benefits so that the proposed beneficiary can use the trust fund for goods and services not provided for by public or private assistance programs. The protected benefits are usually for income, such as SSDI and SSI, or medical care, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Without a special needs trust, acquiring inheritance money or a personal injury settlement could prevent the individual from getting the maximum amount of state or federal benefits available.
Only those with permanent disabilities are eligible for special needs trusts, and the assets placed in trust usually are assets already belonging to the beneficiary, assets from a third party - inherited assets or those divided in a divorce - or proceeds from litigation. Special needs trusts can be created by the beneficiary ("self-settled"), created by a third party, or created by the court. The funds placed in the trust can be in a pooled trust or in a separate trust for the individual.
Planning in Advance, Protecting Your Loved One
If you have a child with special needs, the thought of what will happen after your death has surely crossed your mind. Perhaps your loved one was born with a disability and is dependent on you for care. Maybe your child is now an adult, and you are wondering how best to protect him or her after your death. Or perhaps you or an elder loved one is disabled, and you want to ensure that future public or private benefits won't be placed in jeopardy. Whatever concern you may have, a special needs trust offers the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing that your loved one will be protected when you are no longer able to provide care.
Attorney Warren Brams knows the concerns of individuals with disabled children or family members. He has worked both in the personal injury and guardianship fields, and he understands how these areas of law interface to address the needs of those with special needs.
Contact Us
If you want to protect your or your loved one's ability to receive state and federal benefits regardless of money acquired through inheritance or through a personal injury settlement, contact attorney Warren Brams. To set up a free consultation in our West Palm Beach, Florida law office, contact us online or call us at 561-328-0733.